Cuba Confirms 32 Military Personnel Killed During U.S. Maduro Operation in Venezuela [WATCH]

Cuba’s government announced Tuesday that 32 of its military and police personnel were killed during a United States military operation that removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power and resulted in his transfer to the U.S. to face federal charges.

Cuban authorities released the names, ranks, and ages of those killed and declared two days of national mourning, as reported by Fox News.

The deaths occurred during the U.S. operation in Caracas on January 3, 2026, which culminated in Maduro’s capture and his transfer to New York for his first court appearance on narco-terrorism and related charges.

The Cuban Government described their 32 dead as members of its armed forces and intelligence agencies killed in combat actions, fallen after fierce resistance as a result of bombardments of installations, declaring two days of national mourning. pic.twitter.com/eKZ8eJiUeL

— BOMBA the jungle ‍⬛ (@Karl_Lucid) January 7, 2026

The U.S. government has described the mission as a targeted operation with minimal American casualties. Cuban state media, however, characterized the action as a “criminal act of aggression and state terrorism” against Venezuela.

According to Cuban officials, the personnel killed were members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior, with ages ranging from 26 to 60.

This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year

A government statement did not specify the exact nature of their assignments or the circumstances of their deaths. The statement said the individuals were “carrying out missions representing the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior, at the request of counterpart bodies in the South American country.”

Cuban state outlets, including Granma, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, reported that the personnel “lost their lives in combat actions and after fierce resistance.”

Officials said the declaration of two days of mourning was consistent with earlier government statements regarding the operation and its aftermath.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez addressed the incident in posts on X, criticizing U.S. policy toward Cuba and warning against any future intervention.

Rodríguez wrote that Cubans were “prepared to give their lives” in response to U.S. actions and accused U.S. leadership of repeating what he described as false narratives promoted by Cuban-American political groups and other interests.

He also referenced long-standing economic pressure and hostility directed at Cuba, without naming specific U.S. officials.

The deaths have renewed focus on the long-standing security and intelligence cooperation between Havana and Caracas.

Cuba has for years provided advisers and security personnel to Venezuela at the request of its government, though the full scope of those arrangements has not been publicly disclosed.

Cuban involvement in Venezuelan security operations has been widely reported.

The incident has drawn international attention. In the United States, President Donald Trump acknowledged the Cuban casualties while emphasizing that no American service members were killed during the operation.

Speaking to reporters, Trump said that “a lot of Cubans were killed” and noted that there were no U.S. fatalities.

‘They knew we were coming’

Trump admits ‘a lot of people’, mostly Cuban soldiers, were killed during the operation in Venezuela pic.twitter.com/PTkZaGr6XT

— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) January 6, 2026

In Havana, Cuban officials expressed condolences to the families of those killed and described the fallen personnel as having carried out their duties in service to the state.

As Trump said, Cuba is going to fall on its own.
“Going down for the count.”

No more support from Venezuela.pic.twitter.com/pQyIpb9nsO

— (@jeht_studio) January 5, 2026

The deaths have also prompted renewed debate across the region about Cuba’s role in supporting allied governments and about how Havana’s foreign security commitments may evolve following political changes in Venezuela.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LifeZette. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.